Systems and methods to facilitate guest control of a ride vehicle

ABSTRACT

A ride vehicle control system for a ride vehicle of an attraction includes multiple sensors that are configured to monitor a guest supported by the ride vehicle. The ride vehicle control system also includes an actuator system configured to couple to the ride vehicle. The ride vehicle control system further includes one or more processors that are configured to receive signals from the multiple sensors, wherein the signals are indicative of a position of the guest, a movement of the guest, or both. The one or more processors are also configured to determine an intended movement for the ride vehicle based on the signals and to control the actuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of the ride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 63/077,095, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO FACILITATEGUEST CONTROL OF A RIDE VEHICLE,” filed Sep. 11, 2020, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

An amusement park may include various attractions that are useful inproviding guests with motion experiences and/or visual experiences. Forexample, an attraction may include a ride vehicle that travels along apath (e.g., a ride track) to provide motion experiences to the guests.In some cases, an attraction may include a ride vehicle that isconfigured to roll, pitch, and/or yaw while remaining fixed at alocation (e.g., without traveling along a path) to provide motionexperiences to the guests. In some cases, an attraction may includevirtual reality (VR) devices that are worn by the guests to providevisual experiences to the guests. It is presently recognized that it maybe desirable to enhance motion experiences and/or visual experiences forthe guests of the amusement park.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimedsubject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intendedto limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather these embodiments areintended only to provide a brief summary of certain disclosedembodiments. Indeed, the present disclosure may encompass a variety offorms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forthbelow.

In an embodiment, a ride vehicle control system for a ride vehicle of anattraction includes multiple sensors that are configured to monitor aguest supported by the ride vehicle. The ride vehicle control systemalso includes an actuator system configured to couple to the ridevehicle. The ride vehicle control system further includes one or moreprocessors that are configured to receive signals from the multiplesensors, wherein the signals are indicative of a position of the guest,a movement of the guest, or both. The one or more processors are alsoconfigured to determine an intended movement for the ride vehicle basedon the signals and to control the actuator system to adjust a resistanceto movement of the ride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement

In an embodiment, a ride vehicle control system for a ride vehicle of anattraction includes one or more processors that are configured toreceive a first signal from a head position sensor, wherein the firstsignal is indicative of a position of a head of a guest, a movement ofthe head of the guest, or both. The one or more processors are alsoconfigured to determine an intended movement for the ride vehicle basedon the first signal. The one or more processors are further configuredto control an actuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of theride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement.

In an embodiment, a method of operating a ride vehicle control systemincludes receiving, at one or more processors, a first signal from ahead position sensor, wherein the first signal is indicative of aposition of a head of a guest, a movement of the head of the guest, orboth. The method also includes determining, using the one or moreprocessors, an intended movement for a ride vehicle based on the firstsignal. The method further includes controlling, using the one or moreprocessors, an actuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of theride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement by the guest shiftingbody weight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of anattraction having a ride vehicle and a ride vehicle control system,wherein the ride vehicle includes a spring-based actuation system thatincludes springs, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a motor-based actuationsystem that may be used in the ride vehicle of FIG. 1 , wherein themotor-based actuation system includes two motors and two linkagesystems, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a motor-based actuationsystem that may be used in the ride vehicle of FIG. 1 , wherein themotor-based actuation system includes three motors and three linkagesystems, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of theattraction of FIG. 1 , wherein the ride vehicle includes any suitableactuation system, and multiple sensors are configured to provide signalsto a vehicle controller of the ride vehicle control system, inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of operating aride vehicle of an attraction, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean thatthere are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.Additionally, it should be understood that references to “oneembodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are notintended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additionalembodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

Present embodiments are directed to a ride vehicle control system for anattraction of an amusement park. The ride vehicle control system isconfigured to control an actuation system of a ride vehicle thataccommodates a guest (e.g., rider) to provide a motion experience to theguest. Generally, the guest may provide inputs to the ride vehiclecontrol system by moving relative to the ride vehicle, and the ridevehicle control system may control the actuation system of the ridevehicle based on the inputs to provide the motion experience to theguest. More particularly, the ride vehicle control system may includeone or more sensors that monitor head position and/or movement, eyeposition and/or movement, and/or body position and/or movement (e.g.,hands, limbs, and/or shifting weight) of the guest. A vehicle controllermay receive, from the one or more sensors, signals that are indicativeof the position(s) and/or movement(s) of the guest. Then, the vehiclecontroller may determine an intent of the guest based on the position(s)and/or movement(s) of the guest, and the vehicle controller may controlthe ride vehicle in accordance with the intent of the guest. Asdiscussed in more detail below, the vehicle controller may receiveadditional inputs that relate to ride elements (e.g., physical rideelements, such as animatronic characters; virtual ride elements, such asvirtual characters that are presented to the guest via a virtual reality(VR) device), and the vehicle controller may determine the intent of theguest based on the additional inputs. Advantageously, the disclosedtechniques may provide the guest with a more responsive and/or immersiveexperience.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , an attraction 10 includes a ride vehiclecontrol system 12 having a vehicle controller 14 and a ride vehicle 16(e.g., a motion simulator). In an embodiment, the ride vehicle 16 mayinclude a seat 20 that is configured to accommodate a guest 22 (e.g.,rider). While the guest 22 is in the ride vehicle 16, the guest 22 mayalso receive a virtual experience via a VR device 24 (e.g., VR headset,wearable visualization device, head-mounted sensor device) that includesor is coupled to a VR controller 26 (e.g., additional controller).

It should be appreciated that the ride vehicle 16 may take any suitableform or appearance, such as one including a sled, a motorcycle, a car,an animal, a surfboard, a skateboard, and so forth. Additionally, whilethe ride vehicle control system 12 is discussed herein with reference tothe ride vehicle 16 that supports one guest 22 to facilitate discussion,it should be appreciated that similar techniques may be applied to adaptthe ride vehicle control system 12 for a multi-passenger ride vehiclethat supports multiple guests. It should also be appreciated that the VRdevice 24 is optional and may not be provided as part of the attraction10. For example, the guest 22 may not wear (e.g., on their head) anydevice that is integrated as part of the ride vehicle control system 12and/or the guest 22 may not be presented with virtual features (e.g.,the guest 22 may view a real-world environment). Furthermore, in anembodiment, the guest 22 may wear a non-VR device (e.g., eye-glasses,head-mounted strap) that includes head-mounted sensors that monitor theguest 22 to facilitate the disclosed techniques. In such cases, the VRcontroller 26 is not configured to coordinate the virtual experience,but instead may be utilized to receive signals from the head-mountedsensors that monitor the guest 22 and/or to provide the signals or otherdata (e.g., based on processing the signals from the head-mountedsensors) to the vehicle controller 14 (thus, the VR controller may bereferred to as any type of additional controller, such as aguest-tracking controller, instead of the VR controller).

The ride vehicle 16 may have any of a variety of configurations thatenable the guest 22 to provide inputs (e.g., by moving their head, eyes,and/or body) to control movement of the ride vehicle 16. For example, inan embodiment, the seat 20 may be coupled to a top surface 30 of aspring plate 32 (e.g., solid plate; open framework) of the ride vehicle16. Springs 34 may be engaged with or coupled to a bottom surface 36 ofthe spring plate 32. The springs 34 may provide resistance to movementof the spring plate 32 (e.g., relative to other components of the ridevehicle 16). The ride vehicle 16 may include a base 40 that is coupledto a support beam 42 via struts 44, and the support beam 42 is alsocoupled to the bottom surface 36 of the spring plate 32 via a pivotjoint 46. The pivot joint 46 may enable the spring plate 32 to rotatevia roll 50 (e.g., roll movement) and pitch 52 (e.g., pitch movement)relative to the base 40. In an embodiment, the base 40 may be generallystationary relative to a ground surface 54. However, it should beappreciated that the base 40 may move relative to the ground surface 54,such as when the base 40 is part of a larger ride vehicle that traversesa path (e.g., a track).

In an embodiment, the pivot joint 46 may be a spherical bearing joint oruniversal joint that also enables the spring plate 32 to rotate via yaw56 (e.g., yaw movement; about an axis that is parallel to a verticalaxis 72) relative to the base 40. However, the pivot joint 46 may beconfigured to only enable movement along a single axis (e.g.,corresponding to a single degree of freedom) or two axes (e.g.,corresponding to two degrees of freedom), which may be suitable forsimplified attractions. For example, to provide rotation around thesingle axis, the pivot joint 46 may be a gimbal or a hinged gimbalexpansion joint. In any case, the base 40, the support beam 42, and thepivot joint 46 generally form a support assembly 60 that supports thespring plate 32, while allowing one or more degrees of freedom ofpivotal movement of the spring plate 32.

The VR device 24 that may be worn by the guest 22 utilizes VRtechniques, augmented reality (AR) techniques, and/or mixed reality(e.g., a combination of VR and AR) techniques to render a virtualexperience for the guest 22. For example, the VR controller 26 mayinclude a processor 62 and a memory 64, and the processor 62 may executeinstructions stored in the memory 64 to instruct a display of the VRdevice 24 to present a set of virtual images corresponding to thevirtual experience. The VR controller 26 and the vehicle controller 14may be communicatively coupled to one another via respectivecommunication components 66 (e.g., wireless or wired). In this way, thevirtual experience provided via the VR device 24 and motion of the ridevehicle 16 may be coordinated with one another. For example, the VRcontroller 26 may adjust the virtual images that are presented to theguest 22 based on settings for and/or the movement of the spring plate32. Furthermore, the virtual experience provided via the VR device 24may be selected to correspond with a physical appearance of the ridevehicle 16 and/or a theme of the attraction 10 to thereby provide animmersive experience to the guest 22. For example, in an embodiment inwhich the attraction 10 is themed as a jungle, the seat 20 of the ridevehicle 16 may be designed as an animal, and the virtual experience maybe displayed to the guest 22 as a race through the jungle.

In an embodiment, the ride vehicle 16 may include components that enablesemi-passive control of the ride vehicle 16, which may provideadvantages with respect to the experience of the guest 22 (e.g.,compared to entirely passive or entirely active systems). For example,the ride vehicle 16 may include resistance-adjusting features, such asan actuator plate 70 (e.g., solid plate; open framework) positionedbetween the spring plate 32 and the base 40, relative to the verticalaxis 72. In an embodiment, actuators 74 are coupled between the actuatorplate 70 and the base 40 to adjust a position of the actuator plate 70relative to the base 40 based on instructions from the vehiclecontroller 14. In particular, the vehicle controller 14 may include aprocessor 90 and a memory 92, and the processor 90 may executeinstructions stored in the memory 92 to instruct the actuators 74 tocontract or extend to any suitable actuator length, between a fullycontracted length and a fully extended length, to position the actuatorplate 70 at a particular separation distance 76 from the spring plate32. The actuators 74 may be any suitable components that facilitatemovement of the actuator plate 70, including electric actuators,hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, magnetic actuators, mechanicalactuators, and/or servo motors, and so forth. In an embodiment, theactuator plate 70 may not be directly coupled to the spring plate 32(e.g., the actuator plate 70 and the spring plate 32 may be physicallyseparated from one another along the vertical axis 72 at least incertain positions and/or at certain times during operation).

The springs 34 may selectively contact and compress against the actuatorplate 70 in response to movements of the guest 22. For example, when theguest 22 leans to shift their weight relative to the support beam 42,the pivot joint 46 enables the spring plate 32 to rotate (e.g., tilt)accordingly, thus placing a corresponding portion of the springs 34 incontact (e.g., engaged) with a top surface 80 of the actuator plate 70.As the guest 22 continues to lean to shift their weight, the springs 34that are in contact with the top surface 80 compress and provideresistance to slow and eventually stop the movement of the spring plate32. By adjusting the separation distance 76 between the spring plate 32and the actuator plate 70, the ride vehicle control system 12 mayeffectively adjust the effective spring constant of the springs 34 totune the ride vehicle 16 to provide a feeling of neutral buoyancy and/orappropriate responsiveness to the guest 22 that is suited for any one ofmultiple VR experiences delivered by the VR device 24.

Although two springs 34 and two actuators 74 are illustrated forsimplicity, it should be understood that these are representative of anynumber of such features. Indeed, any suitable number of springs 34 andactuators 74 may be included in the ride vehicle 16, including onespring 34 and/or one actuator 74. For example, in embodiments having asingle actuator 74, the single actuator 74 may include any suitablefour-bar linkage, scissor linkage, guide rails combined with wheels, orany other suitable linkage mechanism that enables the single actuator 74to adjust the position of the actuator plate 70 in one or multipledimensions. Additionally, in embodiments having a single spring 34, thesingle spring 34 may be disposed at a central position corresponding toan expected center of mass of the guest 22. It should also be understoodthat the springs 34, which are illustrated as mechanical, helical, orcoil springs, may include or represent any suitable biasing members orresistance devices (e.g., gas springs, air springs, elastomers, leafsprings, stiff air bladders, conical spring washers, such as Bellevillewashers, gas struts, or magnetic repulsion assemblies, or anycombination thereof). That is, any suitable device that applies avariable force as a function of a dimension of the suitable device ispresently contemplated for use in the ride vehicle control system 12.

Additionally, although illustrated with the springs 34 of the springplate 32 separated from the actuator plate 70, in other embodiments, thesprings 34 may be coupled between the spring plate 32 and the base 40 toprovide a normalizing bias to the spring plate 32. Moreover, it shouldbe understood that the springs 34 may be coupled at any suitableposition in the ride vehicle 16 that enables selective engagement of thesprings 34, including positions in which the springs 34 engage with anysuitable surface of the actuator plate 70, via cantilever action or anyother suitable force-distributing components. That is, the suitableposition may be any suitable position from which the springs 34 areengaged in response to rotation of the spring plate 32 beyond athreshold angle. In an embodiment, one or both ends of the springs 34may be coupled to the spring plate 32 and selectively compressed betweenthe spring plate 32 and the actuator plate 70. In an embodiment, thesprings 34 may be coupled to the top surface 80 of the actuator plate70. Together, the springs 34, the actuators 74, and related componentsmay form a spring-based actuation system. Furthermore, it should beappreciated that any of a variety of spring-based actuation systems(e.g., having springs) may be implemented in the ride vehicle 16.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a motor-based actuation system thatmay be used in the ride vehicle 16 of the attraction 10. As shown, themotor-based actuation system includes motors 220 and linkage systems 222that operate to drive movement of the spring plate 32 about the pivotjoint 46 of the support beam 42 (e.g., to drive movement of the springplate 32 relative to the base 40). Each motor 220 (e.g., anelectromechanical motor, a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor) mayoperate to adjust resistance to movement of the spring plate 32 aboutthe pivot joint 46. In an embodiment, each motor 220 is coupled to arespective gearbox 224 and/or a respective linkage system 222. Forexample, the motor 220 may be coupled to the gearbox 224, and thegearbox 224 may be coupled to a first bracket 226 of the linkage system222. Thus, a torque output by the motor 220, such as to cause rotationof a shaft of the motor 220, may drive rotation of gears of the gearbox224 to cause rotation of the first bracket 226. As an example, the motor220 may utilize a keyless bushing to rotate the shaft and the gearbox224 to enable smooth movement of the spring plate 32. The first bracket226 is coupled to a linkage 228 of the linkage system 222 at a first end230 of the linkage 228. Further, a second end 232 of the linkage 228 maybe coupled to a second bracket 234 of the linkage system 222, and thesecond bracket 234 may be coupled to a section (e.g., a corner, a side)of the bottom surface 36 of the spring plate 32.

The motor 220 may be configured to output a torque that may controland/or drive rotational movement of the first bracket 226 about arespective horizontal axis 236 or a respective axis parallel to thehorizontal axes 236. Such rotational movement of the first bracket 226may cause corresponding movement of the linkage 228 generally along anaxis parallel to the vertical axis 72 to impart a force onto arespective section of the spring plate 32. The imparted force may move(e.g., rotate, such as pitch and/or roll) the spring plate 32 relativeto the base 40. The linkage 228 may be rotatably coupled to the firstbracket 226 and the second bracket 234, such as via rotatable fasteners238 (e.g., a shoulder screw) of the linkage system 222 to enablerotational movement between the linkage 228 and the brackets 226, 234about the respective horizontal axes 236. The rotation between thelinkage 228 and the brackets 226, 234 may enable greater control ofmovement of the spring plate 32 relative to the base 40. Moreover, thecoupling between the linkage 228 and the brackets 226, 234 may enableadditional movement between the linkage 228 relative to the brackets226, 234 to facilitate movement of the spring plate 32 relative to thebase 40. As an example, the linkage 228 may linearly translate along therotatable fasteners 238 and/or may rotate relative to the brackets 226,234 about another axis (e.g., via additional fasteners of the linkagesystem 222).

In an embodiment, the linkage system 222 is supported via a plate 240that extends between the base 40 and the actuator plate 70 (e.g.,coupled to the support beam 42). For instance, the plate 240, which maybe a part of the support assembly 60, may be fixedly coupled to theactuator plate 70, the base 40, and/or the support beam 42. The gearbox224 may be fixedly coupled to the plate 240 to block movement betweenthe gearbox 224 and the support assembly 60, thereby stabilizing thelinkage system 222. In this manner, the plate 240 may facilitateprovision, by the motors 220, of desirable movement of the spring plate32 relative to the base 40.

In an embodiment, each motor 220 may be back-drivable. That is,sufficient force (e.g., caused by the guest 22 shifting their weight)imparted onto the spring plate 32 may cause movement of the spring plate32 relative to the base 40 opposite the movement of the spring plate 32caused by the torque output by the motors 220. In other words,sufficient force may be used to cause rotation of any of the firstbrackets 226 in a direction opposite a direction of rotation caused bythe torque output by the motors 220. In this manner, the amount oftorque output by the motors 220 to impart a force onto the spring plate32 may adjust the amount of a counter-force needed to move the springplate 32 relative to the actuator plate 70 against the torque output bythe motors 220. Thus, the torque output by the motors 220 sets aresistance to movement of the spring plate 32. In particular, increasingthe torque output may increase the resistance to movement, and reducingthe torque output may reduce the resistance to movement. Each motor 220may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle controller 14, and theprocessor 90 may execute instructions stored in the memory 92 to controlthe motors 220 to output a particular torque to effectively adjust or toset the resistance to movement for the spring plate 32. While themotor-based actuation system of FIG. 2 includes two motors and twolinkage systems, it should be appreciated that any suitable number ofmotors and linkage systems may be utilized within the ride vehicle 16.For example, FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a motor-based actuationsystem that may be used in the ride vehicle 16, wherein the motor-basedactuation system includes three motors and three linkage systems. Thethree motors 220 may enable greater control of the movement of thespring plate 32 as compared to controlling the spring plate 32 via twomotors 220. As an example, in addition to pitching and/or rolling thespring plate 32 relative to the base 40, the vehicle controller 14 maytranslate the spring plate 32 along an axis parallel to the verticalaxis 72, such as to heave the spring plate 32.

FIGS. 1-3 provide examples of components that may be included in theride vehicle 16 to facilitate discussion; however, it should beappreciated that the ride vehicle 16 may have any of a variety ofcomponents and configurations. Indeed, the ride vehicle control system12 may include or be used in conjunction with any of the features andtechniques disclosed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/889,942,entitled “Resistance Control Systems and Methods for AmusementAttractions, and filed Aug. 21, 2019; U.S. application Ser. No.16/687,354, entitled “Resistance Control Systems and Methods forAmusement Attractions,” and filed Nov. 18, 2019; and U.S. applicationSer. No. 16/929,066, entitled “Resistance Control Systems and Methodsfor Amusement Attractions,” and filed Jul. 14, 2020, all of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the ridevehicle 16 having an actuator system 300 (e.g., mechanical system) thatmay be controlled to adjust a resistance to movement of the spring plate32 (e.g., to make it more difficult or to make it easier for the guest22 to move the spring plate 32 by shifting their weight) and/or toactively adjust the spring plate 32 (e.g., to drive the spring plate 32;adjust a force applied to the spring plate 32). It should be appreciatedthat the actuator system 300 may include a spring-based actuator system(e.g., FIG. 1 ), a motor-based actuator system (e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3 ),or any other suitable type of actuator system or mechanical system. Thespring plate 32 may support the seat 20 for the guest 22. The guest 22may wear the VR device 24, which may include or be coupled to the VRcontroller 26 having the processor 62 and the memory 64.

It is presently recognized that each guest 22 may have differentcharacteristics (e.g., weight, activity level, mobility), which mayaffect a manner in which each guest 22 moves during the ride cycle.Thus, the vehicle controller 14 may be configured to control theactuator system 300 (e.g., the actuators 74 of FIG. 1 ; the motors 220of FIG. 2 ) to adjust the resistance to the movement of the spring plate32 and/or to actively adjust the spring plate 32 to account for thedifferent characteristics of each guest 22 so that each guest 22 mayenjoy the attraction 10 (e.g., be provided with a motion experience inthe ride vehicle 16; feel like they are controlling the ride vehicle16). For example, the vehicle controller 14 may be configured to controlthe actuator system 300 based on inputs related to head position and/ormovement, eye position and/or movement, and/or body position and/ormovement (e.g., hands, limbs, and/or shifting weight) of the guest 22.

In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 may be configured to receivesignals from one or more sensors (e.g., the signals may be indicative ofhead position and/or movement, eye position and/or movement, and/or bodyposition and/or movement), to process the signals to determine an intentof the guest 22, and then to control the actuator system 300 inaccordance with the intent of the guest 22. For example, detection ofthe guest 22 leaning back and to the left may be interpreted as anintent of the guest 22 to control the ride vehicle 16 to travel up andto the left. As another example, detection of a head of the guest 22tilting and/or turning to the left may be interpreted as an intent ofthe guest 22 to control the ride vehicle 16 to travel to the left.

In an embodiment, the ride vehicle control system 12 may include a headposition sensor 322 (e.g., head tracking sensor) that is configured tomonitor a position and/or movement of a head of the guest 22. Theposition may be the position (e.g., angular position) relative to thebody of the guest 22 and/or the position relative to the ground surface54 or a gravity vector, and the movement may be a velocity, anacceleration, and/or a direction of movement. As shown, the headposition sensor 322 may be worn on the head of the guest 22. Forexample, the head position sensor 322 may be integrated into and/orcoupled to the VR device 24 or other device that is worn on the head ofthe guest 22. In some such cases, the head position sensor 322 may be anaccelerometer and/or a gyroscope. However, it should be appreciated thatthe head position sensor 322 may be any other suitable type of sensor,such as an image sensor (e.g., LIDAR, infrared, camera-based, blobtrackers, skeletal trackers, optical trackers, RFID readers that readRFID tags worn by the guest 22) that is mounted onto the ride vehicle 16or otherwise in proximity to the ride vehicle 16 so as to obtain imagesthat indicate a relative position and/or movement of the head of theguest 22. Regardless of a location and/or a type of the head positionsensor 322, the head position sensor 322 may provide signals indicativeof the position and/or movement of the head of the guest 22 to thevehicle controller 14 (e.g., via wireless communication with the vehiclecontroller 14 and/or via the VR controller 26).

As discussed above, the guest 22 may generally move (e.g., rotate) thespring plate 32 by moving their body (e.g., leaning their body; shiftingtheir weight). However, the guest 22 may begin such movements (e.g.,leaning movements) with their head. For example, the guest 22 may leadwith their head, such that their head moves in a direction and thentheir body (e.g., center of gravity) moves in the direction. The vehiclecontroller 14 may process the signals from the head position sensor 322to determine an intent of the guest 22 (e.g., intended movement for theride vehicle 16). For example, if the signals indicate that the guest 22suddenly tilts their head to their left side, the vehicle controller 14may determine that the guest 22 intends to tilt the spring plate 32downward to their left side (e.g., roll). In response to determining theintent and the corresponding intended movement, the vehicle controller14 may then reduce the resistance of the spring plate 32 to the intendedmovement (e.g., to enable the guest 22 to more easily tilt the springplate 32 downward to their left side) and/or may actively adjust thespring plate 32 to achieve the intended movement (e.g., to tilt thespring plate 32 downward to their left side).

Advantageously, determining the intent of the guest 22 based on thesignals from the head position sensor 322 (e.g., alone or in combinationwith other signals) may enable the ride vehicle 16 to move more easilyfor the guest 22 and/or may provide the guest 22 with a responsive rideexperience even if the guest 22 has difficulty shifting their weight.Furthermore, because the guest 22 may tend to lead with their head,determining the intent of the guest 22 based on the signals from thehead position sensor 322 may enable the vehicle controller 14 toanticipate (e.g., predict) how the guest 22 is likely to move theirbody. As a result, the resistance of the spring plate 32 and/or theadjustment to the spring plate 32 may occur prior to the movement of thebody of the guest 22 and/or during an initial or beginning period of themovement of the body of the guest 22. In this way, the guest 22 may feellike the spring plate 32 is moving with their body (e.g., withoutdelay), and the guest 22 may have a more responsive, realistic motionexperience.

The ride vehicle control system 12 may include other types of sensorsthat monitor features of the guest 22, and the features of the guest 22may be processed by the vehicle controller 14 to determine the intent ofthe guest 22. For example, the ride vehicle control system 12 mayinclude an eye position sensor 324 (e.g., eye tracking sensor) that isconfigured to monitor a position and/or movement of one or both eyes ofthe guest 22. As shown, the eye position sensor 324 may be integratedinto and/or coupled to the VR device 24 or other device that is worn onthe head of the guest 22. However, in an embodiment in which the guest22 does not wear the VR device 24 or other device that is worn on thehead of the guest 22, the eye position sensor 324 may be mounted ontothe ride vehicle 16 or otherwise in proximity to the ride vehicle 16 soas to monitor the position and/or movement of one or both eyes of theguest 22. As an example, the eye position sensor 324 may be an imagesensor that is configured to obtain images indicative of a point of gaze(e.g., where the guest 22 is looking) and/or motion of the eye relativeto the head of the guest 22. Regardless of a location and/or a type ofthe eye position sensor 324, the eye position sensor 324 may providesignals indicative of the position (e.g., the point of gaze) and/ormovement of one or both eyes of the guest 22 to the vehicle controller14 (e.g., via wireless communication with the vehicle controller 14and/or via the VR controller 26).

As discussed above, the guest 22 may generally move (e.g., rotate) thespring plate 32 by moving their body (e.g., leaning their body; shiftingtheir weight). However, the guest 22 may begin such movements (e.g., theleaning movements) with their head and/or their eyes. For example, theguest 22 may glance with their eyes in the direction that they want tomove or lean, such that their eyes move in the direction and then theirbody (e.g., center of gravity) moves in the direction. The vehiclecontroller 14 may process the signals from the eye position sensor 324to determine the intent of the guest 22. For example, if the signalsindicate that the guest 22 suddenly shifts their point of gaze to theirleft side, the vehicle controller 14 may determine that the guest 22intends to rotate the spring plate 32 to their left side (e.g., yaw). Inresponse to determining the intent and the corresponding intendedmovement, the vehicle controller 14 may then reduce the resistance ofthe spring plate 32 to the intended movement (e.g., to enable the guest22 to more easily rotate the spring plate 32) and/or may actively adjustthe spring plate 32 to achieve the intended movement (e.g., to rotatethe spring plate 32).

It is also presently recognized that tracking one or both eyes of theguest 22 may be particularly useful with respect to determining that theguest 22 intends to lean backward (e.g., pitch; rotate the spring plate32 backward such that a rear portion of the spring plate 32 behind theguest 22 is lower (e.g., closer to the ground surface 54) than a frontportion of the spring plate 32 in front of the guest 22), as the guest22 may be hesitant or have difficulty leaning their head and/or theirbody backward while being positioned in the ride vehicle 16. Therefore,such movement of one or both eyes of the guest 22 may result in thevehicle controller 14 reducing the resistance of the spring plate 32 tomake it easier for the guest 22 to rotate the spring plate 32 backward(e.g., with relatively little shift in weight) and/or actively adjustingthe spring plate 32 to rotate the spring plate 32 backward.

Advantageously, determining the intent of the guest 22 based on thesignals from the eye position sensor 324 (e.g., alone or in combinationwith other signals, such as the signals from the head position sensor322) may enable the ride vehicle 16 to move more easily for the guest 22and/or may provide the guest 22 with a responsive ride experience evenif the guest 22 has difficulty shifting their weight. Furthermore,because the guest 22 may tend to lead with their eyes, determining theintent of the guest 22 based on the signals from the eye position sensor324 may enable the vehicle controller 14 to anticipate (e.g., predict)how the guest 22 is likely to move their body. As a result, theresistance of the spring plate 32 and/or the adjustment to the springplate 32 may occur prior to the movement of the body of the guest 22and/or during the initial or beginning period of the movement of thebody of the guest 22. In this way, the guest 22 may feel like the springplate 32 is moving with their body (e.g., without delay), and the guest22 may have a more responsive, realistic motion experience.

In an embodiment, the ride vehicle control system 12 may include anarray of weight sensors 326 (e.g., in the seat 20 and/or in the springplate 32) that is configured to monitor a position and/or movement of abody of the guest 22 (e.g., shifting weight; shifting center ofgravity). The weight sensors 326 may be pressure sensors that are spacedapart from one another and/or that extend across a seating surface forthe guest 22. In an embodiment, the ride vehicle control system 12 mayinclude one or more grip sensors 328 that are configured to detect agrip strength (e.g., a force exerted by a hand of the guest 22), a gripposition (e.g., hand position; a direction of the force exerted by thehand of the guest 22), and/or a grip movement (e.g., hand movement; achange in the force exerted by the hand of the guest 22) of one or bothhands of the guest 22. The grip sensors 328 may be pressure sensors thatare positioned on one or more handles of the ride vehicle 16 or onanother portion of the ride vehicle 16 that is configured to be grippedby the guest 22 during the ride cycle. In an embodiment, the ridevehicle control system 12 may include one or more skeletal sensors 330that are configured to monitor a position and/or movement of skeletalfeatures (e.g., limbs) of the guest 22. The skeletal sensors 330 mayinclude image sensors (e.g., LIDAR, infrared, camera-based, blobtrackers, skeletal trackers, optical trackers, RFID readers that readRFID tags worn by the guest 22). The image sensors may be positioned onthe ride vehicle 16 or in proximity to the ride vehicle 16 so as tomonitor the position and/or movement of the skeletal features of theguest 22. Regardless of a location and/or a type of the weight sensors326, the grip sensors 328, and/or the skeletal sensors 330, thesesensors may provide signals indicative of the position and/or movementof the body of the guest 22 to the vehicle controller 14.

As discussed above, the guest 22 may generally move (e.g., rotate) thespring plate 32 by moving their body (e.g., leaning their body; shiftingtheir weight) relative to the seat 20. The vehicle controller 14 mayprocess the signals from the array of weight sensors 326 to determinethe intent (e.g., intended movement) of the guest 22. For example, theguest 22 may shift their weight to a left lateral edge of the seat 20when the guest 22 wants to rotate the spring plate 32 downward on theleft lateral side of the seat 20 (e.g., roll).

During the ride, the guest 22 may also adjust their grip (e.g., handgrip) at the grip sensors 328 in a manner that indicates their intent.For example, the guest 22 may grip the handles more tightly and/or pushforward against the handles while the guest 22 wants to rotate forward(e.g., pitch), and/or the guest 22 may grip the handles more looselyand/or pull backward against the handles while the guest 22 wants torotate backward (e.g., pitch). Similarly, the guest 22 may push forwardagainst one of the handles and pull back against one of the handleswhile the guest 22 wants to rotate to one side or turn (e.g., yaw).During the ride, the guest 22 may adjust their skeletal features (e.g.,limbs) in a manner that indicates their intent. For example, the guest22 may bend their arms at their elbows while the guest 22 wants torotate forward (e.g., pitch), and/or the guest 22 may straighten theirarms at their elbows while the guest 22 wants to rotate backward (e.g.,pitch). Similarly, the guest 22 may bend one elbow and straighten theother elbow while the guest 22 wants to rotate to one side or turn(e.g., yaw).

The vehicle controller 14 may process the signals from the array ofweight sensors 326, the grip sensors 328, and/or the skeletal sensors330 (e.g., alone or in combination with other signals, such as thesignals from the head position sensor 322 and/or the eye position sensor324) to determine the intent of the guest 22. As noted above, inresponse to determining the intent and the corresponding intendedmovement, the vehicle controller 14 may then reduce the resistance ofthe spring plate 32 to the intended movement (e.g., to enable the guest22 to more easily move the spring plate 32) and/or may actively adjustthe spring plate 32 to achieve the intended movement (e.g., to move thespring plate 32).

In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 may receive additionalinputs (e.g., signals) that relate to ride elements, such as virtualfeatures that are being presented to the guest 22 via the VR device 24.The vehicle controller 14 may utilize the additional inputs to determinethe intent of the guest 22. For example, if the additional inputsindicate that the guest 22 is being presented with a virtual road thatturns to their left, then the vehicle controller 14 may determine thatthe intent of the guest 22 is to turn to their left (e.g., yaw). Inresponse to determining the intent and the corresponding intendedmovement, the vehicle controller 14 may then reduce the resistance ofthe spring plate 32 to the intended movement (e.g., to enable the guest22 to more easily turn the spring plate 32) and/or may actively adjustthe spring plate 32 to achieve the intended movement (e.g., to turn thespring plate 32).

It should be appreciated that the ride elements may be utilized as oneof many inputs (e.g., in addition to the signals from the one or moresensors) to determine the intent of the guest 22. In an embodiment, theride elements may be utilized as a secondary input, such as in cases inwhich the signals from the one or more sensors conflict with one another(e.g., with respect to the intent of the guest 22). For example, if thesignals from at least a first sensor (e.g., the head position sensor322) indicate that the intent of the guest 22 is to turn to their left,but the signals from at least a second sensor (e.g., the grip sensors328) indicate that the intent of the guest 22 is to turn to their right,the vehicle controller 14 may consider the ride elements to determinethe intent of the guest 22 and/or an appropriate way to control theactuator system 300 to provide the guest 22 with an enjoyable rideexperience (e.g., that is most consistent or coordinated with the rideelements, such as to turn to their left where the virtual road turns totheir left).

It should be appreciated that the ride elements may be virtual elementsthat are presented via the VR device 24. In an embodiment, such as whenthe VR device 24 is not used during the ride cycle, the ride elementsmay include real, physical elements within the attraction 10. Regardlessof whether the ride elements are virtual elements or real, physicalelements, the ride elements may include any of a variety of objectsand/or effects, such as a road, a building, a character (e.g., ananimal, robot), a flash of light, a sound, or the like. For example,depending on the ride element, the vehicle controller 14 may determineor consider that the intent of the guest 22 is to lean toward the rideelement (e.g., so as to follow the character due to being interested inthe character) or to lean away from the ride element (e.g., so as toavoid the sound due to being frightened by the sound).

The vehicle controller 14 may also control the actuator system 300 indifferent ways throughout the ride cycle (e.g., while the guest 22 is inthe ride vehicle 16; between boarding onto and deboarding from the ridevehicle 16). For example, the ride cycle may include a first portion inwhich the actuator system 300 operates in a semi-passive mode to enablethe guest 22 to control the movement of the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., byshifting weight), and the ride cycle may include a second portion inwhich the actuator system 300 operates in an active mode to activelydrive the movement of the ride vehicle 16 and/or to block the guest 22from controlling the movement of the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., by shiftingweight). As another example, the ride cycle may include a first portionin which the actuator system 300 operates in the semi-passive mode withrelatively low resistance (e.g., across a relatively low resistancerange) to enable the guest 22 to control the movement of the ridevehicle 16 with relatively minor movements of their body (e.g., byshifting weight), and the ride cycle may include a second portion inwhich the actuator system 300 operates in the semi-passive mode withrelatively high resistance (e.g., across a relatively high resistancerange) to enable the guest 22 to control the movement of the ridevehicle 16 with relatively major movements of their body (e.g., byshifting weight). Thus, a movement (e.g., weight shift) during the firstportion of the ride cycle may result in a first movement of the springplate 32, but the movement during the second portion of the ride cyclemay result in a second movement of the spring plate 32 (or no movementof the spring plate 32). The vehicle controller 14 may also adjust theresistance over a duration of the ride cycle by increasing theresistance in response to determining that the ride cycle is nearingcompletion, that the guest 22 is entering a particular region of asimulated environment supported by the VR device 24, that the guest 22has performed a certain task within the simulated environment, that theguest 22 has provided user input indicative of a requested resistanceadjustment, and so forth. Varying the type of control (e.g.,semi-passive, active) and/or the resistance may simulate differentexperiences during the ride cycle, such as driving along a road witheasy control of the ride vehicle 16 during fair weather conditions andthen being swept along the road with low control (or no control) of theride vehicle 16 during poor weather conditions. In this way, the vehiclecontroller 14 controls the actuator system 300 in a manner that iscoordinated with the ride cycle and/or the ride elements being presentedto the guest 22.

In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 may control the actuatorsystem 300 to encourage and/or to result in certain outcomes.Furthermore, the VR controller 26 may also present the virtual featuresto encourage and/or to result in certain outcomes. For example, thevehicle controller 14 may control the actuator system 300 to reduceresistance to movement in a direction (e.g., reduced relative to otherdirections) to encourage the guest 22 to shift their weight to directthe ride vehicle 16 in the direction (e.g., by making it easier for theguest 22). The VR controller 26 may at the same time present the virtualfeatures, such as road blocks, that encourage the guest 22 to shifttheir weight to direct the ride vehicle 16 in the direction to avoid thevirtual features. In this way, the vehicle controller 14 and/or the VRcontroller 26 may influence the movement of the ride vehicle 16, whilestill allowing the guest 22 to feel like they are in control of the ridevehicle 16.

As noted above, the intent of the guest 22 may be determined based onvarious factors (e.g., inputs; signals), such as the head positionand/or movement, the eye position and/or movement, the body positionand/or movement, and/or the ride elements. The vehicle controller 14 mayinput the various factors into algorithms, which may include lookuptables (e.g., that associate the various detected movements withcorresponding changes to resistance and/or actions for the actuatorsystem 300), to determine the intent of the guest 22. In an embodiment,the algorithms may apply different weights to the various factors. Forexample, the position and/or movement of the head of the guest 22 may beweighted most heavily. In an embodiment, machine learning may beutilized to associate the various factors with the intent. As usedherein, machine learning may refer to mathematical models that may beused to perform a task (e.g., make predictions or decisions) withoutusing explicit instructions, instead relying on patterns and inference.The mathematical models may be generated using training data (e.g.,sample data, historical data).

In an embodiment, it may be desirable to control the actuator system 300in a manner that is customized (e.g., personalized) for the guest 22. Asnoted above, each guest 22 may have certain characteristics that affecttheir ability to shift their weight to move the ride vehicle 16. Forexample, a first guest may have a low weight, a low activity level,and/or low mobility. However, a second guest may have a high weight, ahigh activity level, and/or high mobility. Without the disclosedembodiments (e.g., without dynamically adjusting the resistance tomovement of the spring plate 32), it may be difficult to provide anenjoyable experience to both the first guest and the second guest giventheir different characteristics. For example, the first guest may havedifficulty moving the ride vehicle 16 by shifting their weight, whilethe second guest may be able to easily move the ride vehicle 16 byshifting their weight. Thus, in an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14may access and/or identify characteristics of the guest 22 and may thencontrol the actuator system 300 in a manner that is appropriate for thecharacteristics of the guest 22. The vehicle controller 14 may set theresistance to be appropriate for the characteristics of the guest 22,set limit positions (e.g., maximum roll, pitch, and/or yaw) of thespring plate 32 that are appropriate for the characteristics of theguest 22, a rate of change in position of the spring plate 32 whenactively driving the spring plate 32, or the like. The vehiclecontroller 14 may also access and/or identify a skill level of the guest22, which may be based on a number of times that the guest 22 haspreviously completed the ride cycle. In this way, the vehicle controller14 may accommodate guests with less skill or experience by adjusting forextremes of motion that suggest a different intent than for guests withmore skill or experience. Generally, the algorithms (e.g., look uptables) may account for the variation in motion by different guests(e.g., by considering characteristics, including skill level), since onemotion by one guest may suggest a different intent than the same motionby another guest.

In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 may determinecharacteristics of the guest 22 during an initial portion of the ridecycle (e.g., during boarding and/or during a first time period afterboarding; during a calibration portion of the ride cycle). For example,during the initial portion of the ride cycle, the array of weightsensors 326 may obtain a weight of the guest 22 and the skeletal sensor330 may determine a size (e.g., height) of the guest 22. Furthermore,during the initial portion of the ride cycle, the guest 22 may move invarious ways (e.g., in response to instructions, which may be presentedvia the VR device 24; as encouraged by the actuator system 300 and/orthe VR device 24). Then, the one or more sensors (e.g., the headposition sensor 322, the eye position sensor 324, the array of weightsensors 326, the grip sensors 328, and/or the skeletal sensor 330) maymonitor the position(s) and/or the movement(s) of the guest 22. This maybe indicative of the activity level and/or mobility of the guest 22(e.g., strength of inputs that the guest 22 is able to and/or is likelyto provide while in the ride vehicle 16). Finally, the vehiclecontroller 14 may determine the activity level and/or the mobility ofthe guest 22 based on the signals received from the one or more sensors.

The weight, the size, the activity level, and/or mobility of the guest22 may influence or affect how the guest 22 moves while positioned onthe ride vehicle 16. In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 mayclassify the guest 22 (e.g., based on the characteristics), and/or thevehicle controller 14 may control the actuator system 300 throughout atleast some or all of the remainder of the ride cycle (e.g., after theinitial portion of the ride cycle) based on the characteristics of theguest 22. For example, the actuator system 300 may be controlled toprovide varying resistance across a lower range of resistance values forthe first guest, and the actuator system 300 may be controlled toprovide varying resistance across a higher range of resistance valuesfor the second guest.

In an embodiment, during the initial portion of the ride cycle, thevehicle controller 14 may also determine which input(s) the guest 22utilizes or favors to attempt to control the ride vehicle 16. Forexample, the vehicle controller 14 may determine that the first guestprimarily uses one type of input (e.g., changing their grip) and/orminimally uses or does not use another type of input (e.g., shiftingweight). In such cases, the actuator system 300 may be controlled toactively drive the spring plate 32 in response to changes in the grip ofthe first guest, instead of relying on the first guest to shift theirbody weight. Or, the actuator system 300 may be controlled to reduce theresistance in response to determining the intent of the user based onchanges in the grip of the first guest, to thereby make it easier forthe first guest 22 to subsequently move the spring plate 32 with theirbody weight. Thus, each guest may be provided with a motion experiencein which they feel like they are in control of the ride vehicle 16(e.g., the ride vehicle 16 is responsive to their movements) by shiftingtheir weight and/or by moving in other ways (e.g., changing their grip).Importantly, each guest may be provided with the motion experience evenif they have certain limits to their physical abilities and/or withoutoverexerting themselves, thereby providing for a more enjoyableexperience for all guests.

Additionally, the vehicle controller 14 may operate the ride vehicle 16in an active mode for certain guests, but not for other guests. Or thevehicle controller 14 may operate the ride vehicle 16 in the active modemore frequently for certain guests, and less frequently for otherguests. For example, the active mode may be used more frequently toprovide motion for the first guest, and the active mode may be used lessfrequently to provide motion for the second guest (since the secondguest has a greater ability to shift their weight to move the ridevehicle 16). In an embodiment, the vehicle controller 14 may switch fromoperating the ride vehicle 16 in the semi-passive mode to operating theride vehicle 16 in the active mode in response to failing to detectshifting weight of the guest 22 and/or in response to failing to detectmovement of the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., expected movement; in adirection) after determining the intent of the guest 22 is to move theride vehicle 16 (e.g., in the direction). For example, after determiningthe intent based on signals indicative of one or more of movement of thehead of the guest 22, movement of the eyes of the guest 22, a change ingrip of the guest 22, and/or a change in limb positioning of the guest22, the vehicle controller 14 may reduce the resistance to movement ofthe ride vehicle 16. However, if the ride vehicle 16 does not movewithin a time period after the reduction in the resistance, the vehiclecontroller 14 may switch to operating in the active mode and may drivemovement of the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., in the direction).

In some embodiments, the characteristics of the guest 22 may be storedin a database (e.g., as a stored profile for the guest 22). Anidentifier of the guest 22 may be stored with the characteristics of theguest 22. Then, during subsequent rides by the guest 22, the vehiclecontroller 14 may access the characteristics from the database and maycontrol the actuator system 300 in an appropriate manner for the guest22 (e.g., without monitoring during the initial portion of the ridecycle and/or in addition to such monitoring). For example, the guest 22may wear an identification device (e.g., a wearable device having aradiofrequency identification (RFID) tag that is unique to the guest22). In such cases, an RFID reader that is communicatively coupled tothe vehicle controller 14 may read the identifier (e.g., code) from theRFID tag when the guest 22 is in the ride vehicle 16, and the identifiermay be associated and stored with the characteristics of the guest 22.Then, during the subsequent rides by the guest 22, the RFID reader mayagain read the identifier from the RFID tag, provide the identifier tothe vehicle controller 14 so that the vehicle controller may access thecharacteristics for the guest 22 from the database. It should also beappreciated that the guest 22 may input the identifier and/or thecharacteristics via an input device (e.g., a touch screen on the ridevehicle 16 or in a queue for the attraction 10; prior to entering theamusement park). In an embodiment, the guest 22 may input preferencesrelated to the resistance (e.g., low or high levels of resistance)and/or movement (e.g., low or high levels of movement) that they wouldlike to experience in the ride vehicle 16. The preferences may be storedin the database and may be associated with the identifier.

It should be appreciated that the vehicle controller 14 may also receivesignals from one or more ride vehicle sensors 340, wherein the signalsare indicative of a position (e.g., incline) and/or movement of the ridevehicle 16. For example, the ride vehicle sensors 340 may include aninclinometer, an accelerometer, and/or a position sensor. The vehiclecontroller 14 may then control the actuator system 300 based on thesignals from the one or more ride vehicle sensors 340 and the intent ofthe guest 22. In this way, the vehicle controller 14 may account for acurrent position of the ride vehicle 16 when controlling the actuatorsystem 300 to reduce the resistance to movement of the spring plate 32and/or to actively drive the spring plate 32. For example, if the ridevehicle 16 is already at a limit position in a direction (e.g., amaximum roll, pitch, and/or yaw), the vehicle controller 14 may notfurther reduce the resistance in the direction and/or may not activelydrive the spring plate 32 to move in the direction. Similarly, if theride vehicle 16 is already rotated to the left and the intent of theguest 22 (e.g., as determined by the vehicle controller 14) is to moveto the right, the vehicle controller 14 may adjust the resistance and/ordrive the ride vehicle 16 to reach a centered or neutral position (e.g.,rather than to rotate the ride vehicle 16 to the right). The signalsfrom the one or more ride vehicle sensors 340 may also be utilized bythe VR controller 26 to provide the virtual images to the guest 22 in amanner that corresponds to the movement of the ride vehicle 16.

As noted above, the actuator system 300 may operate in a semi-passivemode to impart a resistance to movement of the spring plate 32 (e.g.,via movement of the actuator plate 70 in FIG. 1 ; via torque output ofthe motors 220 in FIGS. 2 and 3 ). In some such cases, the vehiclecontroller 14 may refer to a resistance setting database 332 todetermine a particular target resistance (e.g., that is appropriate forthe characteristics of the guest 22 and/or the ride cycle) and settingsfor the actuator system 300 (e.g., the position of the actuator plate 70in FIG. 1 ; the torque output of the motors 220 in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) toachieve the particular target resistance. Additionally or alternatively,the actuator system 300 may operate in an active mode in which thespring plate 32 is driven to move (e.g., in FIGS. 2 and 3 , one or moremotors 220 are instructed to output a torque that overcomes the forceimparted by the guest 22 onto the spring plate 32) to thereby positionthe spring plate 32. Indeed, in the active mode, the vehicle controller14 may operate the actuator system 300 to drive the spring plate 32 tomove in a desirable manner (e.g., to a target position or orientation),instead of enabling the guest 22 to drive movement of the spring plate32 (e.g., as in the semi-passive mode). For instance, the vehiclecontroller 14 may operate in the active mode to move the spring plate 32and impart a certain sensation and ride experience to the guest 22. Thevehicle controller 14 may utilize the intent of the guest 22 and acurrent position of the spring plate 32 to determine the appropriate wayto control the actuator system 300 to move the spring plate 32 (e.g.,the appropriate torque to be output by the one or more motors 220 tocause the desirable movement of the spring plate 32). It should beappreciated that the vehicle controller 14 may receive feedback orinputs that indicate a current resistance as well (e.g., the length ofthe actuators 74 in FIG. 1 ; the torque output by the motors 220 inFIGS. 2 and 3 ) to enable the vehicle controller 14 to appropriatelyadjust the resistance for the guest 22.

The vehicle controller 14 may be included in a housing or chassis of theride vehicle 16, or the vehicle controller 14 may be remote to the ridevehicle 16 and coordinate operation of multiple ride vehicles 16. Thevehicle controller 14 includes the processor 90 that providesinstructions to the actuator system 300 and the memory 92 that storesthe instructions for the processor 100. The memory 92 may also store theresistance setting database 332. However, it is to be understood thatany components can be suitably stored in and updated from any suitablelocation, such as within a cloud database. The processor 90 may includeone or more processors that can execute instructions for carrying outthe presently disclosed techniques, such as a general-purpose processor,system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration. In someembodiments, these instructions are encoded in programs or code storedin a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as thememory 92 and/or other storage circuitry or device. It should beappreciated that processing steps and techniques disclosed herein may becarried out by the vehicle controller 14 alone or in conjunction withinanother controller that is communicatively coupled to the vehiclecontroller 14 (e.g., in conjunction with the VR controller 26 and/or anyother type of additional controller, such as a guest tracking controllerthat receives, transmits, and/or processes signals indicative of theposition and/or movement of the guest 22).

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method 400 forcontrolling the actuator system of the ride vehicle. The method 400disclosed herein includes various steps represented by blocks. It shouldbe noted that at least some steps of the method 400 may be performed asan automated procedure by a computing system, such as by the vehiclecontroller. Although the flow chart illustrates the steps in a certainsequence, it should be understood that the steps may be performed in anysuitable order and certain steps may be carried out simultaneously,where appropriate. Additionally, steps may be added to or omitted fromthe method 400.

As shown, in step 402, the method 400 may begin by receiving signalsindicative of a position and/or movement of a guest that is supported inthe ride vehicle. The signals may include signals from a head positionsensor, wherein the signals are indicative of a position and/or movementof a head of the guest. Additionally or alternatively, the signals mayinclude signals from an eye position sensor, wherein the signals areindicative of a position and/or movement of one or both eyes of theguest. Additionally or alternatively, the signals may include signalsfrom an array of weight sensors, wherein the signals are indicative ofweight shifting of the guest. Additionally or alternatively, the signalsmay include signals from a grip sensor, wherein the signals areindicative of a grip strength, hand position, and/or hand movement ofthe guest. Additionally or alternatively, the signals may includesignals from a skeletal sensor, wherein the signals are indicative of askeletal position and/or movement (e.g. limb position and/or movement)of the guest. For example, one or more signals indicative of one or morepositions and/or movements of the guest may be received at the vehiclecontroller.

As shown in step 404, the method 400 may then proceed to determine anintent of the guest (e.g., how the guest wants or intends to move theride vehicle; the intended movement for the ride vehicle) based on thesignals. It is presently recognized that the position(s) and/ormovement(s) may be indicative of the intent of the guest. For example,the guest may move their head to their left when the guest wants torotate or move the ride vehicle to their left. The vehicle controllermay use one or more algorithms to determine the intent of the guestbased on the signals. As noted herein, the vehicle controller may alsoconsider ride elements to determine the intent of the guest.

As shown in step 406, the method 400 may also include receiving signalsindicative of a position (e.g., incline) of the ride vehicle. Thesignals may include signals from a ride vehicle sensor that is coupledto the ride vehicle, and the signals may be received at the vehiclecontroller. In step 408, the method 400 may include controlling anactuator system based on the intent of the guest and the position of theride vehicle. For example, the vehicle controller may instruct theactuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of a spring plate ofthe ride vehicle to adjust the ride vehicle's response to weightshifting by the guest (e.g., to make it easier or to make it moredifficult for the guest to rotate the spring plate). In an embodiment,the vehicle controller may instruct the actuator system to activelydrive the spring plate of the ride vehicle. As noted herein, the vehiclecontroller may carry out other steps, such as determiningcharacteristics of the guest, accessing a resistance setting database,determining appropriate resistance settings based on the characteristicsof the guest and/or ride cycle, and the like to provide a motionexperience to the guest. Furthermore, the vehicle controller may controlthe actuator system so that the motion experience is coordinated with avisual experience, which may be presented to the guest via a VR device.For example, the vehicle controller may adjust the resistance tomovement of the spring plate based on the visual experience (e.g., toprovide less control to the guest during some portions of the ride cycleand to provide more control to the guest during other portions of theride cycle).

Technical effects of the disclosed ride vehicle control system includeenabling dynamic adjustment of a resistance of a ride vehicle and/oractively controlling movement of the ride vehicle based on variousinputs from a guest in the ride vehicle. The disclosed ride vehiclecontrol system provides an improved experience for guests having a widerange of characteristics.

While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the disclosure. It should be appreciated thatany of the features illustrated or described with respect to the figuresdiscussed above may be combined in any suitable manner.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and appliedto material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature thatdemonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are notabstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claimsappended to the end of this specification contain one or more elementsdesignated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for[perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements areto be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claimscontaining elements designated in any other manner, it is intended thatsuch elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

The invention claimed is:
 1. A ride vehicle control system for a ridevehicle of an attraction, the ride vehicle control system comprising: aplurality of sensors configured to monitor a guest supported by the ridevehicle; an actuator system configured to couple to the ride vehicle;and one or more processors configured to: receive signals from theplurality of sensors, wherein the signals are indicative of a positionof the guest, a movement of the guest, or both; determine an intendedmovement for the ride vehicle based on the signals; and control theactuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of the ride vehicle,to adjust a force applied to the ride vehicle, or both to facilitate theintended movement.
 2. The ride vehicle control system of claim 1,wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a head position sensor, andthe signals comprise one or more signals indicative of a head positionof the guest, a head movement of the guest, or both.
 3. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises aneye position sensor, and the signals comprise one or more signalsindicative of an eye position of one or both eyes of the guest, an eyemovement of the one or both eyes of the guest, or both.
 4. The ridevehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensorscomprises a grip sensor, and the signals comprise one or more signalsindicative of a grip strength, a grip position of the guest, a gripmovement of the guest, or any combination thereof.
 5. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises askeletal sensor, and the signals comprise one or more signals indicativeof a limb position of the guest, a limb movement of the guest, or both.6. The ride vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the actuatorsystem comprises: one or more motors; and one or more linkage systemsthat are configured to couple the one or more motors to the ridevehicle, wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust theresistance to the movement of the ride vehicle by controlling an outputtorque of the one or more motors.
 7. The ride vehicle control system ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to controlpresentation of virtual images to the guest via a VR device worn by theguest.
 8. The ride vehicle control system of claim 7, wherein the one ormore processors are configured to determine the intended movement forthe ride vehicle based on the signals and the virtual images that arebeing presented to the guest via the VR device worn by the guest.
 9. Theride vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator system isconfigured to operate in a semi-passive mode that enables the guest tomove the ride vehicle by shifting their body weight.
 10. A ride vehiclecontrol system for a ride vehicle of an attraction, the ride vehiclecontrol system comprising: one or more processors configured to: receivea first signal from a head position sensor, wherein the first signal isindicative of a position of a head of a guest supported by the ridevehicle, a movement of the head of the guest, or both; determine anintended movement for the ride vehicle based on the first signal; andcontrol an actuator system to adjust a resistance to movement of theride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement.
 11. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors areconfigured to: receive a second signal from an eye position sensor,wherein the second signal is indicative of an eye position of one orboth eyes of the guest, an eye movement of the one or both eyes of theguest, or both; and determine the intended movement for the ride vehiclebased on the first signal and the second signal.
 12. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors areconfigured to: receive a third signal from a grip sensor, wherein thethird signal is indicative of a grip strength, a grip position of theguest, a grip movement of the guest, or any combination thereof; anddetermine the intended movement for the ride vehicle based on the firstsignal, the second signal, and the third signal.
 13. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors areconfigured to: receive a fourth signal from a skeletal sensor, whereinthe fourth signal is indicative of a limb position of the guest, a limbmovement of the guest, or both; and determine the intended movement forthe ride vehicle based on the first signal, the second signal, and thefourth signal.
 14. The ride vehicle control system of claim 10, whereinthe one or more processors are configured to: control presentation ofvirtual images to the guest via a VR device worn by the guest; anddetermine the intended movement for the ride vehicle based on the firstsignal and the virtual images that are being presented to the guest viathe VR device worn by the guest.
 15. The ride vehicle control system ofclaim 10, comprising the actuator system, wherein the actuator systemcomprises: one or more motors; and one or more linkage systems that areconfigured to couple the one or more motors to the ride vehicle, whereinthe one or more processors are configured to control an output torque ofthe one or more motors to adjust the resistance to the movement of theride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement.
 16. The ride vehiclecontrol system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors areconfigured to: determine one or more characteristics of the guest,including a characteristic corresponding to a body weight of the guest;and control the actuator system to adjust the resistance based on theone or more characteristics of the guest to facilitate the intendedmovement.
 17. The ride vehicle control system of claim 16, wherein theone or more processors are configured to determine the one or morecharacteristics of the guest during a calibration portion of a ridecycle.
 18. The ride vehicle control system of claim 10, wherein the oneor more processors are configured to operate the actuator system in asemi-passive mode to enable the guest to move the ride vehicle byshifting body weight.
 19. The ride vehicle control system of claim 10,wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate theactuator system in an active mode to drive the ride vehicle inaccordance with the intended movement.
 20. A method of operating a ridevehicle control system, the method comprising: receiving, at one or moreprocessors, a first signal from a head position sensor, wherein thefirst signal is indicative of a position of a head of a guest supportedby a ride vehicle, a movement of the head of the guest, or both;determining, using the one or more processors, an intended movement forthe ride vehicle based on the first signal; and controlling, using theone or more processors, an actuator system to adjust a resistance tomovement of the ride vehicle to facilitate the intended movement by theguest shifting body weight.